Working in the academic field is one option for those with archaeology degrees. Many teaching positions are reserved for those with advanced degrees. In colleges and universities, one would need a Ph.D. to teach, whereas in community colleges or other two-year programs, hiring criteria may reduce the requirements to a master's degree. One advantage to working in the academic field is that the faculty gets to use the summer to do things like teach summer school or even do field research, which can lead to major advancements in your field. Though academia is a common destination for archaeologists, in most cases a bachelor's degree won't cut it.
The hiring staff that work with museums generally look for people who have a background, especially an educational one, in the area or topic of choice for the museum. An archaeology degree may land you a curatorship with an independent or university-affiliated museum, where you might be in charge of giving presentations, designing displays and maintaining the museum's collection, among other things. Such jobs are generally year-round but may offer the opportunity for continued research. Due to the competetive nature of such employment, most museum curators also have advanced degrees (M.A./M.S. or Ph.D.)
Working with the government is another, albeit it less-known position for archaeologists. In fact, the federal government's U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers all have archaeologists in their ranks. In addition, each state hires archaeologists to work with their State Historic Preservation Office. Many of these positions are in cultural resources management (CRM).
Working for a private sector firm is possible as well. These firms would also perform operations required by law and requested by construction contractors again for cultural resources management. One such example of what an archaeologist in this type of work might do is the excavation of historically significant sites before the destruction and digging that might accompany the construction of a new building. They may work with the government, with universities or independent of either. CRM supervisory roles are limited to those with at least a M.A. degree, but field roles generally require only a B.A. degree and some previous field experience at an archaeological field school.